Sports
Dikko Commends GTI’s Strategic Repositioning Of Nigerian Football
The chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko has poured encomiums on the strategic partners to the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), GTI Asset Management and Trust Limited for their effort at repositioning Nigerian football.
He made the remark during the presentation of Newstap/SWAN 5-star award to the GMD of GTI Group, Abubakar Lawal, alongside four other recipients in Lagos.
The well-attended event which attracted a lot of stakeholders of the Nigerian football family was jointly organised by Newstap Communications Limited and Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN).
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In his opening speech Dikko revealed how he and other football administrators ensured GTI’s remarkable entry into the Nigerian sports ecosystem and since then the country’s football has witnessed a positive trajectory.
“I appreciate the organisers of Newstap/SWAN award for a successful execution of the maiden edition of this award and thank GTI Group for their effort so far in repositioning our beautiful game,” Dikko began. “I made serious effort to ensure that I’m present at this event today and I thank God that I succeeded. When I eventually came here and saw the team from GTI, I was overwhelmed with joy such that I didn’t know how to start thanking them for their accomplishments with the NPFL and President Federation Cup. I want to commend GTI for taking a big risk in trying to reposition our elite league and today the result speaks for itself.
“I and Barrister Seyi Akinwumi were part of the team that started the process of bringing GTI into our football ecosystem and we are glad with their achievements so far with our football. Frankly, GTI has surpassed our expectations and I pray they recoup all their investments at the end of the day.”
The other four recipients of the Newstap/SWAN Awards include Benue State Governor, Rev Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Alia; Benue State FA Chairman, Barr Paul Edeh; Chairman of Valuejet Airlines, Hon. Kunle Soname and Founder Monimichelle Construction Limited, Chief Ebi Egbe.
In his final remark at the occasion, National President of SWAN, Isaiah Benjamin urged the five awardees never to rest on their oars in contributing their quota to the development of sports generally in the country. He further revealed that preparations are in top gear for the Diamond Jubilee celebration of SWAN and affirmed that the event will be held later this year.
The 2026 summer transfer window ended in spectacular fashion, with Premier League clubs once again rewriting the record books after spending close to £3.5 billion on players.
The spending surpassed the previous record of £3.14bn set in 2025, with the final two days of the window producing a frantic series of deals.
According to reports, Premier League clubs spent about £506.5 million on deadline day alone.
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Among the deals that grabbed the biggest headlines were the deadline-day moves involving Enzo Fernández, Gabriel Jesus and Ibrahim Mbaye.
Enzo Fernández completes £125m Manchester City move
The biggest headline deal was undoubtedly Enzo Fernández’s £125 million transfer from Chelsea to Manchester City.
The Argentina international’s move matched the British transfer record and made him the first player to have been transferred for more than £100 million on two separate occasions during his career.
Fernández signed a five-year contract with City after completing the move on deadline day.
The 25-year-old had enjoyed an impressive 2025/26 campaign with Chelsea, scoring 15 goals and providing seven assists.
His move also reunites him with Enzo Maresca, who previously worked with him at Chelsea.
The transfer was part of a massive rebuilding exercise at Manchester City. The club also signed Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for £116m and Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille for around £86m, among other additions.
City ultimately emerged as the Premier League’s biggest spenders, with their total expenditure reported at about £457.5m.
Gabriel Jesus makes surprise Barcelona switch
Another major deadline-day story was Gabriel Jesus’ move from Arsenal to Barcelona.
The Brazilian striker completed a permanent transfer to the Spanish champions for a reported £8.6m (€10m) and signed a contract running until June 2029.
The move brought an end to Jesus’ four-year spell at Arsenal, where he made 123 appearances and scored 32 goals after joining from Manchester City for £45m in 2022.
The 29-year-old was part of Arsenal’s Premier League title-winning squad last season but found his opportunities limited, making only three Premier League starts during the campaign.
Barcelona moved for Jesus after their efforts to sign Atlético Madrid striker Julián Alvarez failed to produce a deal.
The Brazilian now arrives as another attacking option for manager Hansi Flick.
Interestingly, reports indicate that Barcelona’s pursuit of Alvarez and the Jesus deal were treated as separate operations, meaning the Catalan club could still have been interested in the Argentine forward.
Aston Villa land teenage sensation Ibrahim Mbaye
Aston Villa also completed a significant deadline-day deal by signing 18-year-old Senegal international Ibrahim Mbaye from Paris Saint-Germain for £47m (€55m).
Mbaye spent eight years at PSG after joining the club’s academy at the age of 10. He made history in 2024 by becoming PSG’s youngest-ever Ligue 1 starter at just 16 years, six months and 23 days.
The winger was also part of the PSG squad that won successive Champions League titles and Ligue 1 championships in 2025 and 2026.
On the international stage, Mbaye switched his allegiance from France to Senegal and featured at the 2026 World Cup, scoring against France.
His arrival formed part of a dramatic squad overhaul at Villa Park under Unai Emery. Aston Villa made 10 major additions during the summer while also allowing several key players to leave.
Premier League clubs smash spending record
The three deals were part of a transfer window that demonstrated the extraordinary financial power of the Premier League.
By the close of the window, English top-flight clubs had spent approximately £3.49bn, comfortably surpassing the previous record of £3.14bn set the previous summer.
Four Premier League transfers alone exceeded the £100m mark during the window: Enzo Fernández, Bradley Barcola, Morgan Rogers and Elliot Anderson.
Manchester City led the spending, while Chelsea and Tottenham were also among the clubs to invest heavily.
The extraordinary spending ensured that the 2026 summer window ended as one of the most expensive and dramatic transfer periods in football history, with clubs continuing to spend huge sums in their pursuit of domestic and European success.
Portuguese football tactician Carlos Queiroz has made a surprise return as head coach of Ghana’s senior national team, the Black Stars.
The Ghana Football Association announced the 73-year-old’s reappointment on Thursday, weeks after he appeared to signal his departure from the team following their exit from the FIFA World Cup.
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Queiroz took charge of Ghana in April and guided the Black Stars to the last 32 of the tournament before they suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Colombia.
Shortly after the loss, the Portuguese coach appeared to announce his departure on social media.
However, following subsequent discussions, the Ghana FA has decided to bring him back for another spell.
The duration of Queiroz’s new contract was not disclosed, but the football association said he would be tasked with preparing the Black Stars for “a successful new phase on the international stage.”
The GFA said Queiroz’s extensive international experience, technical expertise and knowledge of the Black Stars made him the right man to lead the team into its next chapter.
Queiroz has managed several national teams, including Portugal, Iran, Egypt, South Africa, Colombia and Qatar.
He also had two spells as assistant manager at Manchester United under legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
His immediate priority will be Ghana’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign, with the qualifiers scheduled to begin later this month.
The Black Stars have been drawn in Group C alongside Ivory Coast, The Gambia and Somalia, although the dates and venues for their opening two matches are yet to be announced.
The Ghana FA said further details on Queiroz’s mandate would be released in due course.
Nigerian winger Femi Azeez has completed a remarkable rise from non-league football to the Premier League after joining Brighton & Hove Albion from Millwall on a four-year contract.
The transfer, for an undisclosed fee, was completed after Brighton and Millwall submitted a deal sheet before the initial 11pm transfer deadline, extending the window until 1am on Wednesday.
Azeez, 25, joins Brighton following an outstanding 2025/26 campaign with Millwall, where he played a key role in the club’s push for the Championship play-offs.
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The Nigerian made 77 appearances for Millwall, scoring 15 goals and registering 13 assists. His impressive performances also earned him places in the PFA and EFL Championship Teams of the Season.
Brighton sporting director Mike Cave welcomed Azeez to the club, describing him as one of the most exciting attacking talents in the Championship.
“We are delighted to add Femi to the squad. He arrives off the back of an excellent season with Millwall, having played a key role for them as they finished in the playoffs,” Cave said.
“He was one of the most exciting attacking talents in the Championship, and we’re delighted to have finally agreed his transfer, and we now look forward to working with him.”
Azeez’s journey to the Premier League has been unconventional. After spending time in Watford’s youth setup, he moved into non-league football with Northwood before spells at Wealdstone and Hanwell Town.
He subsequently earned a move to Reading in 2019 before joining Millwall in 2024, steadily working his way up the English football pyramid.
The winger has also made a strong start to his international career with Nigeria. On his senior debut in June, Azeez scored both goals in the Super Eagles’ 2-0 victory over Zimbabwe.
Four days later, he provided an assist as Nigeria defeated Jamaica 3-0.
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